Heart of the Sea
by jellieerollll
Summary: Prince Feliciano is a castaway found by Michelle, a fishergirl from the Diamond border town, La Frontière. He starts to live his life as a commoner, yet it can't last for too long. With the Shuffle, happening last and most devastatingly in the Hearts, Feliciano must take up his responsibility as the Future Jack of Hearts. ItaSey among others.
1. Shipwreck

He coughed up the seawater from his lungs. A feminine voice beside him sighed. " _Mon dieu_ , you're awake!"

"W-Where a-a-am I-" he got cut off by him violently coughing up more seawater. A hand gently slapped his back. He opened his eyes and immediately saw the blue ocean.

"Are you okay now?"

He turned to his side and saw a girl around his age. She had medium, chestnut brown hair, with hairpins clipping her bangs to the left side of her hair. She had pretty tanned skin. The girl wore a simple shirt T-shirt and blue shorts that reached her knees.

He almost forgot how to speak from seeing the girl's beauty, that was much, much different from the customs in his homeland. He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. He laughed, "I'm okay, _bella_!"

The girl signed out of relief, "Thank the skies you're safe..."

She smiled, before turning to her side. He now noticed that he was on a small fishing boat with the girl. He also noted that the girl had been searching for something in a small wooden box. The girl turned to him, with something wrapped in paper in her hands.

She smiled, "Eat up! You're very lucky that you survived for several days! Also, do you mind if I ask your name?"

"It's Feliciano! What's yours, _bella_?" He replied. The girl blushed at the compliment. "My name's Michelle."

"You have a really cute name, Michelle!" Feliciano said. The girl laughed, "You compliment me too much! You should eat!"

Michelle turned to one side of the boat and started to pull up a net with fishes, effectively closing conversation. Feliciano opened the wrapper and took a bite into the sandwich. He noted that its fillings were egg and mayonnaise.

He then thought to the events that had happens in the previous days, which had lead him here. He remembered how he barely got into a ship that would sail into the Spades, without getting beheaded. He had a few grazes from arrows here and there, but they were all covered in bandages. His other hand went to the small satchel at his belt, he was glad to note that most of memorabilia from the Hearts were still there and so were the coins he managed to salvage.

Feliciano unconsciously touched his lower leg and felt that it was very cold. He sighed. He knew better than to continuously kick the seawater, in hopes of teaching dry land, or at least, a boat.

"I'm sorry if it's too plain, Feli. I ran late this morning," Michelle said. Feliciano shook his head, "Don't worry about it!"

"Is there anything I can help with?" Feliciano asked, looking over Michelle's shoulder. "Could you hand me the small knife there?" She asked, not looking up from removing the knots in her fishing net.

The brunette turned to his side and saw a small silver knife. He picked it up and handed it to the lady. He asked, "Where am I?"

Michelle looked up from her net, tilting her head, "Oh, right. You've been shipwrecked right? We're on the coast of _La Frontière_."

The information of an autonomous Diamond border, port town right beside the Spades came into his mind. The small town had a port almost half it's size.

"I'll be going back to the coast now, dark clouds are coming here," Michelle announced. She booted up a motor. It buzzed to life as the wooden boat started to go back to coast. She sat on the wooden plank, before looking at Feliciano who seemed to space out.

"Feli?"

"Hm?" Feliciano turned his gaze on Michelle.

"So how did you get shipwrecked?" She asked. He rubbed the back of his neck, "I don't really remember."

He lied. He did remember. He remembered the day an assassin on the ship set fire to Feliciano's quarters. The brunette had to jump out of the window into the Ante Ocean, with barely enough knowledge to swim.

They soon arrived at the port. A platinum blonde haired boy was tapping his foot impatiently as they docked. He wore white pants tucked into tall brown boots with a striped blue and white shirt. He wore a scowl as he glared at Michelle, "It's about time you arrived."

She nervously laughed. The boy sighed, "Anyway, who's your friend?"

"Oh, Emil, this is Feliciano. Feliciano, this is Emil," Michelle introduced. Emil nodded, "You shipwrecked?"

"How did you know?" Feliciano asked. "Your clothes are damp and you have a piece of seaweed on top of your head," Emil pointed out.

"Oh."

"Michelle, I'll be taking the fishes today and I'll be giving your pay tomorrow," Emil said, taking a small notepad from his pockets. Michelle nodded before getting her satchel, standing up and carefully getting on the dock. Feliciano followed in suit.

"You're going to be staying with me alright?" Michelle asked. Feliciano nodded, "Si!"

After a few more minutes of walking as the wind violently blew, they reached the end of the docks. Michelle turned left as Feli followed. They reached a cottage soon after.

The house had two floors, with a roofed porch out front. A cowboy hat and whip rested on the hooks embedded in the wall. The roof had brown tiling, with odd pieces of orange sticking out. A tree stood beside the porch, providing shade. Michelle unlocked the house and allowed Feliciano to go in first.

The interior of the house provided a homey feeling, unlike the regal feeling the Heart Castle gave out. He liked it.

"Go sit on the couch while I prepare something," she instructed. Feliciano nodded, a wave of exhaustion finally registered in his mind. He yawned and sluggishly made it over to the brown couch leaned against the wall. Once his head met one of the brown throw pillows, sleep overcame him.

* * *

This is a new story that I've been itching to write the past weeks, with no spare time. Hopefully school won't take all of my time so I can continuously update this.

Comment if you have any constructive criticism, question or comment.

 ** _Vocabulary Time:_**

Mon dieu (Fr.) - My God

Bella (It.) - beautiful

La Frontière (Fr.) - The border


	2. Home Cooking

Feliciano woke up to the scent of fish and spices. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. The male decided to lie on the bed for a few more minutes before opting to get up. He saw a beautiful, seemingly painted view of the ocean from the window. The waves clashed against the coast and pelicans flew over the sea. The sun rose from the East, giving the view a golden hue.

Feliciano grinned at the beautiful view, noting to draw or paint it down later. His amazement was shattered when he smelled something foul. He raised his arm and smelled under his arm. He gagged and thought, "I should really get a bath... I really smell stinky."

He stood and walked a bit to test his legs a bit. Feliciano found that some of his legs' strength was restored, yet he still had difficulties here and there. The Heart Prince walked out into the hallway. He leaned on the doorframe to catch his breath as the scent of food entered his nostrils.

Michelle was in front of the stove. She wore an orange shirt and khaki knee length shorts, and her hair was up in a high ponytail.

" _Buongiruno_ , Michelle," Feliciano greeted, walking to the small dining table and pulling out a chair. Michelle dished the spiced fish and eggs onto two plates. She turned around and asked him. "Why aren't you sitting down?"

"I've been taught to always let the ladies sit first," Feliciano replied. Michelle smiled, "That's so gentlemanly of you!"

" _Grazie_ ," Feliciano said. Michelle sat down at the chair that he pulled out after putting down the plates. "The spoons and forks are at the drawer just beside the stove."

Feliciano got two pairs of utensils just before sitting down himself. He got a whiff of the fish and was immediately reminded of how he hasn't really eaten anything for the past four days, save for the sandwich Michelle gave him.

"This smells _delizioso_!" Feliciano exclaimed, just before digging into his meal. Michelle chuckled before opening the pack of loaf bread she had on the table. "Here; don't forget to eat your carbohydrates!"

After breakfast, Feliciano was left in the small cottage. Michelle had gone to fish some of the rare breed of fish called Moonfish.

So far, the clock on the far end of the living room showed that it was fifteen minutes after ten in the morning. Feliciano had seen the kitchen/dining room, living room, two bedrooms which had some other things that didn't quite fit in a guest room (one of which he had slept in the previous night), a locked room ( _"...probably her bedroom,"_ he thought after a minute of trying to figure out what was behind it), bathroom (he had already bathed and washed his saltwater soaked clothes) and a small dusty library.

Feliciano saw the pictures of Michelle and her family on the walls. Although she posed with two blonde boys, both of which were older than her by several years, the picture gave a off the vibe of a family. He felt his own heart ache.

He had no idea where his younger and older brothers had gone. His grandfather was dead, so was his parents, the King and Queen of the Hearts. Although he knew that Marcello had gone for refuge in the Spades, a few days before the coup started, he stopped getting word from him as well as the Spade Royals. It might have been the coup which devastated every business in the Heart Royal City, but Feliciano dreaded that it could mean something worse. As for Lovino, he had stayed to fend off the leaders of the coup while Feliciano rode on a horse to get to the docks. He had absolutely no idea what happened to the elder, as he had not gotten a messenger bird from him or his subordinates.

Feliciano shook his head. It wasn't really helping to think of depressing thoughts. He walked back to the library and searched for a paper and pencil. He found some lying on the surprisingly dustless desk at the middle of the room.

Feliciano took the supplies and walked down to the porch. Michelle's cottage was positioned near the sea, but it had a seawall made of limestone and rock in front of it so as to prevent seawater to go into the house. He saw the beautiful blue sea with the sun a few angles from being perfectly positioned in the sky. The brunette took a seat on the wooden porch and started to sketch, rubbing some of the lead to create a fading effect.

Michelle came back around three in the afternoon, her hand-me down fishing rod in two pieces. She found Feliciano in the library, reading a book entitled, "The Atmosphere."

"Ve, what happened to your rod?" Feliciano asked, looking up from his book. Michelle frowned, "It broke when I was getting a really big one at the reefs."

She sighed, "It was about time I get one anyway. It looks like I'll have to hold it off for a few more weeks because the inflation is literally emptying pockets dry."

Feliciano frowned himself, hearing the gloom in her voice. She straightened up before giving a small smile, "I'll be preparing dinner for you, I hope you like pasta."

Amber eyes sparkled as he stood up from his chair, knocking it over. "There's pasta?!" He exclaimed, eyes wide as saucers.

Michelle chuckled, "Yes, it's by the kitc-"

She didn't finish her statement as Feliciano zoomed past her and downstairs. Michelle followed, her steps more calm. By the time she got there, Feliciano was practically flying all over the kitchen, the old pots being used to boil the noodles and to make sauce.

She sat down and watched as Feliciano turned the simple ingredients into something the Card Royals could think of eating every day. She almost drooled from the scent alone. He finished a few minutes later.

Feliciano served the main course, _Fettuccine Alfredo_ , made with _simple_ market ingredients. For dessert, the brunette made _Cannoli_ with chocolate Michelle didn't even _know_ she had in her kitchen.

"This smells like heaven!" she exclaimed. Feliciano smiled brightly, "You think so?"

Michelle took a bite of the dish and was immediately convinced she had gone to heaven. She was practically crying from how delicious the food was! Feliciano noticed this and immediately spoke, "I'm sorry! Did I put the wrong spice-"

"Where have you been all my life?!" she cried, standing up to tackle hug Feliciano. He stumbled and lost his balance, sending both of them to the floor. "It's practically heaven in a bowl!"

"Grazie! I'm glad you like it!" he chuckled. The two soon finished dinner, Michelle praising Feliciano's cooking skills. Now as they conversed as the two washed dishes together. Feliciano wiped a plate and put it onto a neat stack, "Oh, what room was I staying in last night?"

"You're in Alfred's room. Which reminds me," She said.

"What is it?"

"You and Alfred are really alike! Even how you face food is the same!" she giggled.

* * *

Wew, this story's still going strong guys! Yay for the plot of the story going forward! I hope you guys like this chapter because it has food. Or maybe that's just my grumbling stomach typing!

A bit of explanation for you guys who're confused on why Michelle's so happy in tasting Feli's food. Keep in mind that there's inflation in the Diamonds, meaning she can't really afford good food or ingredients.

 ** _Vocabulary Time/Chapter Notes:_**

Buongiruno (It.) - Good morning

Grazie (It.) - Thank you

Delizioso (It.) - Delicious

Moonfish - I actually don't know if a fish like this exists, but Sunfishes exist so why not? I pretty much gave up on creative naming.

Fettuccine Alfredo (It.) - A type of pasta dish that has parmesan cheese and butter as its ingredients.

Cannoli (It.) - An Italian pastry from Sicily.


	3. The Town: Part 1

I kinda feel disappointed about this since I barely had time to read this over and edit this cause of school. Urgh, I hope this is decent though.

* * *

Feliciano woke up to the sound of the ocean clashing against the coast. He turned over in the bed and saw that it had been another beautiful day. Early morning sunlight beamed against the ocean surface, creating a glittering view. He got up and did his daily morning routine, wearing a beige shirt with khaki pants.

The brunette went to the kitchen and saw Michelle reading the newspaper. She waved to him and he returned it with a wave of his own. There was a plate of eggs and bacon at Michelle's opposite, utensils laid out neatly beside it.

Feliciano sat down. Michelle turned her newspaper over to him, with the headline _"The Shuffle Happening in The Hearts Affecting World Economy."_

Michelle frowned, "I hope the inflation's not gonna get worse."

Feliciano stiffly nodded. He felt guilty. The Shuffle really did affect everyone, he knew. But he never really experienced how it felt for the common people. He had heard rumors of people killing each other for a single slice of bread in the Clubs when The Shuffle happened there. He hoped it wasn't as worse here in the Diamonds. A little spark of hope couldn't hurt, right?

"Oh!" Michelle seemed to remember something. She snapped her fingers with a bright grin on her face, "I was going to take you to town today to meet everyone!"

Feliciano mirrored her grin, "That's an _eccellente_ idea!"

The two quickly finished breakfast before they put on their shoes. They left the cottage soon after, taking a turn for the left. Michelle was telling all sorts of stories revolving around La Frontière and its residents when a blonde girl approached them.

"Michelle!" She called out, her braided pigtails resting on her shoulders. The brunette waved, "Erika! I thought you weren't supposed to be back by next week!"

The girl, Erika, smiled. "Big brother's supplies were all sold out when we were passing through Seville."

"That's nice," Michelle commented. She gently pulled Feliciano to stand by her as she introduced him, "Erika, this Feliciano and he just arrived a day ago."

"Oh, are you from the Hearts?" she asked curiously, her green eyes scanning Feliciano.

Feliciano froze up. _No, no, it was too soon!_

He quickly made up a lie. "I'm from the Spades but I went to the Hearts to study Art but I got shipwrecked!"

 _Yeah, as if they're going to believe that, dumbass._ His brother's voice chided him. Feliciano was never really the one to lie that well. When he tried to lie, he always got caught. Lovino and Marcello were far better at lying than him.

But for some reason, the lie worked.

"Oh, is that so? I read that The Shuffle in the Hearts is really devastating," Erika said. Michelle nodded, "It's affecting us also."

"That's terrible," Feliciano added. The blonde nodded. "Oh! I must be going now! Brother's expecting me for a few minutes already!"

"Which reminds me, there was one time when a friend of Erika's big brother was scared of a herd of goats that passed here..."

They soon got to the plaza. They walked around town, Michelle introducing everyone to her new friend. Feliciano realized how much he's been shut from the world, having grown up in a castle with strict confines. The feeling of someone calling him a friend made him happy, unlike everyone in the Hearts referring to him in a formal way and acting professional with him. Sure, he was the next heir to the King's throne (Lovino didn't have a mark on him so he was out of the equation), but he knew his mark was too incomplete to tell. His grandfather and the other Heart officials had long given up trying to complete Feliciano's mark.

The fishergirl pointed out some of her favorite shops. There was the candy shop which was run by Chun-Yan (who always gave her and her brothers extras). There was a general merchandise store, run by Emil. There was a cafe run by Tiina (who was the owner of the old orphanage in the next town over, and also her mother figure).

Everyone had greeted Michelle and also welcomed Feliciano after a few words of introduction. Some others had given the girl several food items as a reward of the girl helping them out. The Heart Prince had realized how much he had been missing his life within tall, red brick walls. He knew Lovino was able to roam the streets freely while Feliciano was the more favored one. It meant that he was basically guarded at all times, not even able to bathe alone without a solider/maid guarding him. His parents hadn't even looked at his big brother for a second chance, considering how he was a delinquent, even as a toddler. He knew how he elder had felt; he just never really had the spine to speak his mind out.

It was depressing really.

"Are you hungry?" Michelle's question snapped him back to reality. Feliciano slowly nodded, "Why not?"

As they walked to the café, Michelle explained her relationship with the owner of the café. Her biological parents gave her away to the orphanage, and that was where she met Alfred and Matthew, who also lost their biological parents due to an attack on the village they lived in when they were one. They had grown close, to the point that they do anything in their power as children to prevent anyone in their group being adopted alone. That, of course, had given problems to anyone who wanted to adopt only one of them.

"Mr. Heracles always had a problem with us but we always managed to calm him down by getting him more kittens!" Michelle chuckled.

When one of the older kids, Arthur, had turned fifteen, he left the orphanage in search of a better life. The three was devastated, having known the blonde for most of their lives. Unfortunately, Arthur hadn't known location of the trio and , unknowingly, reigned pillage on the village where the orphanage was at. They had gotten transferred to the orphanage that Tiina managed. The town as again attacked by a pirate by the name of Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, who had been enemies with Arthur, and they eventually ended up in La Frontière.

They soon arrived at the heart of town.

Michelle pointed to a quaint little shop in the plaza circle. Orange had been the main theme in the building, a simple white and orange design striped pattern for the wall outside. Through the huge glass window, there was a polka-dotted orange and white wallpaper along with handmade chairs and seats inside. There was an assortment of pastries and cakes inside an expensive glass case.

They entered the shop. Michelle waved to some of the wait staff as they went to the small table for two at the window. A brunette teen approached the table with menus. Michelle waved, "You're working today, Leon?"

The teen nodded, "Like, I have to work shifts since working at Sensei's store isn't gonna put enough food on my plate."

"I thought she gave you extras?" Michelle asked.

"I'm gonna have to go to the Spades soon for the Turning," Leon said, taking his notepad out. "You'll be having the regular, then your friend?"

Feliciano had been watching the conversation and forgot to order. He quickly looked over the menu until he decided on one item, "I'll have the _Matsutake Bacon Pasta_."

Leon raised an eyebrow but wrote down his order anyway. He collected the menus and went to the counter. Michelle turned to Feliciano. "So what do you like to do for fun?"

"I like to paint," Feliciano told her. Michelle smiled, "That's a nice hobby. Painting isn't a common hobby in the Diamonds."

"What about you?" Feliciano asked back. She replied, "Crafting, I guess. Whenever I pick up trash from the sea, I try to think of ways to make more money."

Leon soon arrived with their orders. "Oh, Boss just arrived from the Spades today. She wanted to meet your friend."

"Ve... how do news spread around so fast?" Feliciano mumbled.

"Michelle!"

* * *

Tbh, Michelle's backstory was confusing, even for me (well the preliminary draft), but for this, I edited it since the original one I wrote wouldn't work out for other events in the future. I feel guilty for not updating this in a few weeks.

If I had to set an update schedule, it'd be probably the next, next week after next week on either Sunday/Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Saturday. I can't really update on Tuesdays and Thursdays since my dismissal causes me to get late (at least for me).

Tell me which characters you want to appear in the next chapters! Enjoy reading? Why not leave a review? A simple "Cool story" or a essay long review would be lovely!

 _ **Chapter Notes:**_

 _Eccellente_ (It.) - Excellent _  
_

 _Matsutake Bacon Pasta -_ This comes from a game on Android phones called Hunt Cook. I used it cause I ran out of ideas.

Erika Zwingli - The name I used for Liechtenstein. While Lili is a cute name, I feel like it would fit more in an AU with Royalty.

Chun-Yan Wang - Nyo!China. She'll be an important figure later.

Tiina Väinämöinen - Nyo!Finland. While she won't be really important, but I felt like Icey should have another fellow person from the Clubs since in this AU, they face a lot of stereotypes and discrimination. Not to mention I feel like Michelle, Alfred, and Matthew should have a parental figure.


End file.
